2025 Culture Award Finalists

Rushani is a passionate storyteller who blends ancient wisdom with modern adventure, bringing the timeless teachings of the Thirukkural to life for young readers. With a background in education and writing and a deep love for Tamil literature, Rushani creates stories that inspire children to think

An aspiring author/poet dedicated to bridging the gap between generations in immigrant households and bringing light to trauma and abuse often swept under the rug as a taboo topic. My goal is to share my own story focusing on heartfelt and raw reflections to explore the challenges and beauty of

Yia Vang is the author of In Yer's Kitchen: Memoir of a Hmong Daughter. This is her debut book which intertwines Eros philosophy with reflections on the journey of two women learning to see and honor each other as individuals through food and stories. Her writing explores universal themes of

FAROOK QAIS, pronounced “case,” is a British-born Muslim of South Asian heritage. Having started creating characters from the age of 5, Farook’s stories stem from his life experiences with a common theme of explosive emotive drama. He has written novels, but his strength is writing film and TV

After gaining a degree in Anthropology, Sophie went into television production directing her first documentary for Channel 4 when driving from London to Johannesburg. Having produced an INSET series for BBC Education, she set up wildlife films in Botswana and a BLUE PETER exploration of South Africa

Katie Moran began her career as a teenager, providing photos and words for various music publications. She began touring professionally after high school and left the road for a stint at The Agency Group’s Los Angeles office. In 2009, she returned to her hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to join

I am an LGBT son of Cuban immigrants. My experience of being a double minority (queer & latinX) and son of a national psychologist radio host/author for Latin Americans (Dr. Isabel Gomez-Bassols) taught me to have a high level of compassion for others. My mother has consistently used her national

After gaining a degree in Anthropology, Sophie went into television production directing her first documentary for Channel 4 when driving from London to Johannesburg. Having produced an INSET series for BBC Education, she set up wildlife films in Botswana and a BLUE PETER exploration of South Africa

Clifton Brown is an author who draws deeply from his experiences in the U.S. Navy, weaving them into dark, evocative stories that explore the boundaries between light and shadow. With several published short stories and a debut fiction novel, an anthology, and nonfictions, Clifton has found writing

When I was little, I used to tell my family I wanted to be a writer. As a teenager, I wrote novels in notebooks. I have to confess I was inspired by Mary Higgins Clark's novel. After a long break, during which (among other things) I studied history, Islamic sciences, worked in education, the

Willamette Sutta is the pen name of a former academic librarian who has always been more fascinated with the worlds of imagination than the STEM books that she curated. Now she combines her love of information and speculation to create fantastic stories that nevertheless give an air of a world truer

A Sudanese Writer in the Netherlands, weaving limitless worlds with words. Writing isn't just a passion it's a gateway to the magnificent. No borders, no boundaries, just stories waiting to be told.

After gaining a degree in Anthropology, Sophie went into television production directing her first documentary for Channel 4 when driving from London to Johannesburg. Having produced an INSET series for BBC Education, she set up wildlife films in Botswana and a BLUE PETER exploration of South Africa

FAROOK QAIS, pronounced “case,” is a British-born Muslim of South Asian heritage. Having started creating characters from the age of 5, Farook’s stories stem from his life experiences with a common theme of explosive emotive drama. He has written novels, but his strength is writing film and TV

After gaining a degree in Anthropology, Sophie went into television production directing her first documentary for Channel 4 when driving from London to Johannesburg. Having produced an INSET series for BBC Education, she set up wildlife films in Botswana and a BLUE PETER exploration of South Africa

Dehradun-born and naturalized American research scientist, Neerja Raman has now assumed a new avatar as an iconic storyteller. Her fourth book, a memoir, The Chemistry of Belonging: Stories of Inheritance and Upbringing was published in January 2005. Her fiction The House on East Canal Road (2022)

Roxanne O'Connell has nearly two decades of experience in the nonprofit sector, focusing on economic and climate justice. Her short story was published in Free Spirit Collection: About the Environment, and her poetry has appeared in Wildfire Magazine. She holds a Master’s degree in International

A Sudanese Writer in the Netherlands, weaving limitless worlds with words. Writing isn't just a passion it's a gateway to the magnificent. No borders, no boundaries, just stories waiting to be told.